Meet the 2015-16 NBA blocks champion: Hassan Whiteside

Whiteside can go the rest of the season without one of these and almost certainly still win the NBA block title. (Getty Images)

Whiteside can go the rest of the season without one of these and almost certainly still win the NBA block title. (Getty Images)

With enough precincts reporting, The Palm Beach Post is calling it for Hassan Whiteside as the winner of this year’s blocks title. Hassan Whiteside also declares Hassan Whiteside the winner.

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I’m gonna win that.”

The math favors him. He blocked three shots in the Heat’s win at New Orleans on Tuesday and pushed his season total 229, the second-highest in franchise history to Alonzo Mourning’s 294 in 1999-00. Mourning is the only Miami player to lead the league in blocks, doing so that year and the previous one.

Whiteside is 77 ahead of second-place DeAndre Jordan. Jordan would have to average 5.9 per game the rest of the season to catch him. Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka (92 back) would need 8.4 per game to get there.

It’s over. And Whiteside is the least surprised person on the planet that he earned this distinction.

“It’s something I’ve been doing since college,” Whiteside said. “I led college in blocks. I led high school in blocks. I led China in blocks. I led the D-League in blocks. It’s kinda my standard. I always felt like I was the best at it. I led in blocks all around the world.”